The American-flagged team will utilize an upstaged version of Gibson’s LMP2 engine, with the car also able to be fitted with the 3.4-liter twin-turbo Mecachrome powerplant that will be used in Ginetta’s new-for-2018 LMP1 car.

It’s understood at least one existing WEC LMP2 team is evaluating the purchase of a BR1, which could make it the most-represented LMP1 car on the grid next season.

“Something we’re good at is making a lot of cars,” Pignacca said. “Realistically if we have to make 2 or 3 cars more, it’s not going to be a problem.

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365 as well as the recently launched e-racing365 Web site for electric racing. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com/SPEED Channel, and contributes to other publications worldwide. Contact John

17 Comments

17 Comments

Tyler Sanders

November 23, 2017 at 11:24 am

Interesting quote from the article

“For engineers, the LMP1 regulations are really a piece of cake because we have much more freedom than LMP2 in order to fix the mistakes and do some development, finally, at reasonable costs.”

Oreca will be in LMP1 possibly next year or in 2019. LMP1 has the ability to develop the car every year, but with the rule of only one downforce package, its a more reasonable cost vs. making 3. LMP2 gets one joker update for 4 years.

The ACO needs to admit it screwed it the LMP2 regulations and fix it, and the Oreca has the advantage of also having top drivers and top teams. How many ex-F1 and ex-LMP1 factory drivers are in the Ligier and Dallara’s in IMSA and ELMS?

I completely agree the ACO completely messed up with the LMP2 rules the joker updates very 4 years is really stupid. They literally made no reason for top teams to try liger and Dallara how the current rules are.

That doesn’t make sense. Ligier and Dallara are going to have their joker upgrades next year. Meanwhile, Oreca has to run as is. So if anything, I think the newer car that’s just been upgraded to meet the best is the way to go.

The Ligier is actually a fairly balanced car. It doesn’t have the quickest lap times like the Oreca can run, but its less abusive on its tires which is one of the big reasons why United Autosports was able to get a few wins in the ELMS.

The Dallara was built more on a low-downforce configuration and is quick in a straight line but looked very unstable under braking all the time.

The Ligier should be right on par with the Oreca next year but would a top WEC team go for it? Pla and Albuquerque showed the car has promise.

David Chaste

November 23, 2017 at 1:13 pm

The P2 cars are made to purchase at a specific (low) cost. But with P1 cars they can sell them for what the car costs them depending on the customer’s demands.

But it’s not the ACO or Oreca’s fault they have the best P2 chassis. Dallara has more resources than Oreca, that’s why they were selected ahead of others like Gibson/Zytek, BR, and Dome. But Oreca simply has more experience building P2 chassis for Lemans and just did a better job against an inexperienced giant.

I read that article. He played both sides of the fence. Dean claimed that Oreca had an advantage in LMP2 by having most of their new car running in 05 guise prior to 2017, and then claimed that Norma had an advantage in LMP3 by coming in later than Ligier. As one would expect, Dean took the positions that best suited Ligier, despite his two positions being somewhat at odds with each other. How much truth there were to his theories would be highly debated amongst the other manufacturers in either class, I am sure.

I would like to see that article. The ORECA LMP2’s have been hugely dominant before the joker updates were applied to the Ligier, Dallara & Riley LMP2’s. I would like to see more Riley’s running but they have been out of the game for too long. Post the link for that Roger Dean article.

Well, if looks could win races this would fit the bill, reminds me of the Epsilon Euskadi LMP1 car. Hopefully it will not be too draggy at le mans and they can reduce the fuel flow to stay in contention with the Toyotas.

Whilst the P2 debate [Oreca vs Dallara, Ligier/Mr Dean & Riley] will doubtless continue with the FIA, the real story is LMP1. Greater P1 regulatory freedom, lesser weight and only market force cost control should, theoretically support better chassis design and build. The fun part comes when the new cars begin to test in earnest; when we get to see how many more than 7 or 8 materialise, and when we get to see them at Spa in May’18. Can’t wait: roll on 10 LMP1s, Spa, Le Mans et al – when we also get to see how the engine manufacturers have managed to achieve the fuel efficiency that’ll be required to challenge a reliable Toyota. Roll on.